The invention relates in general to licensing objects and more specifically to a method and system for indicating the status of a license.
Numerous software applications exist for performing various types of functions on computers. Software distribution schemes allow users to download software through communication networks such as the Internet. Due to competition in the market, many software manufactures have used these distribution schemes to provide a free trial application to a potential customer allowing the potential customer to use the software application for a limited time or in a limited capacity. If satisfied, the customer may purchase the full commercial version of the software or may purchase a license to continue using the trial software application.
Conventional licensing schemes, however, are limited in several ways. If the licensing techniques provide a functionally limited version of the commercial software application, the software provider risks that the trial version will be adequate for the potential customer. If the trial version is severely limited in functionality, the software provider risks that the potential customer will not fully appreciate the capabilities of the commercial software. On the other hand, if the trial version is not limited enough, the potential customer will not buy the commercial version and will continue using the trial version eliminating a potential sale.
A licensing scheme involving a time limited version of the commercial product is limited in that trial time may be too long or too short. If the trial version is set to expire too early, the potential customer may not have an opportunity to adequately examine the software product. If the expiration of the trial software is set to far in the future, the potential customer may use the software to complete a project and may not desire to purchase the commercial version.
Drafting, graphic and other visual software applications are particularly sensitive to the issues discussed above. Most graphic applications use numerous drawing objects that typically need to be updated periodically. Further, the large libraries of drawing objects may need to be expanded to provide an adequate database of contemporary objects.
Therefore, there exists a need for method and system for licensing software, digital objects, and other digital data that allows a potential customer to sample the product with a maximum functionality while maintaining customer motivation to purchase a license.